Monday, December 05, 2016

A Christmas Carol was by far the most successful book of the 1843 holiday season. Eight stage adaptations of Charles Dickens' masterpiece were in production within a couple of months of the book’s publication.

And this classic story is every bit as popular today as it was more than 150 years ago — a tireless message to honor Christmas in our hearts and keep it all the year-long through.

Incredibly, Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol over a mere six week period. According to literary lore, while he was writing A Christmas Carol, Dickenssaid the Cratchits had been “ever tugging at his coat sleeve, as if impatient for him to get back to his desk and continue the story of their lives”.

Renowned tv actor and director Charles Siebert is extremely masterful as Ebenezer Scrooge — essential casting, along with the rest of the cast, especially the terrific actors portraying the Cratchit family, ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future and a crowd-pleasing, larger-than-afterlife Al Kaplan as the ghost of Jacob Marley.

Costumer Pat Fitzgerald's festive, Victorian outfitting was given a particularly edgy Sonoma-County extra layer of flair with a steam-punk influence — perfect for the theatre's Railroad Square locale that has been home to back-to-the-future festivals similar in theme to Petaluma's annual Rivertown Revival.

Dialects were good. I always appreciate that. I thoroughly enjoyed the heart-warming enthusiasm of the children and teens in the cast and in the audience that evening.

Performances run through December 22nd. Support this terrific local theatre group and click here to book yourself a seat.

Meanwhile, for full Dickensian-immersion, don't miss this year's Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party at the Cow Palace, in San Francisco, now open weekend's through December 18th.

This fantastic event offers the absolute best-value ticket price for all day entertainment. Take in as many stage shows as you have time for, wander the bustling streets of Victorian London, shop handcrafted goods, eat and drink the best of British fare.

The Dickens Fair has a special place in my heart having worked with my friends, the show's producers, the Patterson Family on their various, stellar events for many years when I was fresh off the boat from the UK.

If you've never been to the Dickens Fair, you won't be disappointed. Suitable for the entire family. Do plan on making time to fully experience this event if you go.

Store owner Tali and floral designer Tamara will have hot cider and all sorts of gorgeous wreaths and greenery available to purchase, as well as succulent gifts and flowers to bring the region's bounty into your home for the festive season.

I'll be reading from the mistletoe section in new book Fog Valley Winter. Hear how Sonoma County's plant wizard Luther Burbank introduced European mistletoe to the area and how it has historically remained within a few square miles only.

Meet my fellow mistletoe Hunter, Susan. I plan on baking up a selection of sweet, holiday treats to share from the vintage recipes featured in the back of the book.

Please consider gifting Fog Valley Winter to friends and family this holiday season, though no purchase is necessary to attend — especially if you already have the book.

I look forward to seeing you!

There are several wonderful eateries, wine bar and cocktail spots a stone's throw from Second Street Flowers. Why not make an evening of it?

Do you have stories to tell? Important letters to write? Sentiments of the heart, a wedding speech, a business plan, a press release, the next great American novel?

Let 2017 be your year for expressing yourself — with a little help! My wonderful friend and concept editor, journalist and editor Elaine Silver is currently opening her schedule to offer a wide range of writing, editing and speech coaching services.

Book Editing: In this age of self-publishing, having a discerning set of eyes on your work is essential to creating a work that you are proud of. If you've taken the time and put in the effort to write a book, doesn't it deserve to be the best book it can be?

Story Capturing: Do you have a story or family history that you would like preserved for future generations? Is there an elder in your life whose unique life perspective needs to be chronicled? Give the enduring gift of a well-crafted personal history.

Letters of the Heart: Is there a letter that keeps calling out to be written? Perhaps to a child, a parent, an old friend? Let's have a conversation and I will take your thoughts and turn them into the heartfelt communication that you envision.

Speeches: Do you need to write a speech? Let Elaine help you by writing it together. Do you need coaching on delivering the speech? Let her guide you in giving the best presentation you can give.

Wedding Words Package: Make the words of your wedding as beautiful as the rest of the event. Elaine's wedding words package gives the bride and groom the perfect wedding vows and makes sure the wedding toasts are personal, funny and tasteful as well as the most memorable that the guests will have ever heard!

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, more and more super sales seemingly any random day of the week, designed for boosting annual holiday season shopping — here we are in the midst of the crazy season of spend, spend, spend.

And yet, Giving Tuesday is upon us — ever so quietly and politely asking us to remember that giving to the greater good in our communities and beyond is really what this time of year is all about.

There are a myriad worthy non-profits in our Southern Sonoma County to consider. We all have our favorites. Here are two or three more: The Fabulous Women Group has come up with the great idea of a $20 Petaluma Passport to provide 15% discounts at a terrific selection of stores and eateries through Christmas Eve, with all profits to the families of the East Petaluma multi-home fire, close to the freeway a few months ago.

Thousands are expected to walk through the Fabulous Women's 2016 Festival of Trees, this year being appropriately presented at (extremely decked out) historic Woman's Club on B Street. Stop by Dec 2nd and 3rd, 6pm to 9pm, buy a raffle ticket or two, bid on a fantastical tree — all profits to local charities.

Make a reservation for dinner or drinks at SAUCED in Petaluma on December 5th and boost the fundraising efforts in our community for former French Hen Antiques store owner, Brenda Maher. This lovely, kind lady has warmed the hearts of so many shoppers over the years with her eye for beautiful things for the home as well as her compassionate disposition. Though it was so sad to see her store close when Brenda's cancer took hold, it's been heartening to see how many in our community have stepped up to help her with $ donations from small to large.

Brenda and her husband, John (aka Petaluma Pete) would dearly love to stay in Petaluma, the place they've called home for many years, now. Having to close her business put a serious dent in the couple's income and donations from friends, neighbors and local businesses have made it possible for Brenda and John to figure out all of the extra medical expenses involved in her cancer fight.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”

W.T. Purkiser

Dear Readers, this certainly has been an eventful year. Now that the holidays are here, how do we reclaim the festive spirit amidst a dampened mood?

I know this is an understatement for most, certainly within my little sphere of influence (on both sides of the pond), but do let's agree to carve out enough quality time to think things through, recharge and to find each our own path towards positivity, hopefulness and improving the planet and the lives of those around us.

On a personal note, I've been ever thankful for the ability and willingness to work for a better understanding of others by sharing my books about our community's melting pot and its particular cultural heritage, this year. Not only has my peculiar brand of British/American independent journalism in this multi-cultural arena taught me so much more about so many different sorts of people, it continues to broaden my horizons in the fascinating and open people I meet along the way.

By writing about the immigrant experience and sharing these important stories with readers around the world, I've been able to bring people together in ways that I never imagined.

My family moved house this summer. Timo and I uprooted our menagerie of animals and our motley collection of furniture, art, books and homemade wine just as the youngest of our three lovely sons took off for university. It has been an adventure these past few months as we reconfigure our new/old 1960s West Petaluma home to suit our modern needs.

Thanksgiving dinner at my house is a pop-up supper this year as I scramble through boxes for a turkey carving platter, napkins and the like. What I'm most excited about is breaking with tradition, playing around with the fixings with friends and family, being focused and fully present.

I hope that you, too, find your own repose, and, if family politics this year mean something more than the usual — these disputes may be put aside for a day or two — useful skills for navigating the year ahead!

Warmest wishes for a classic Southern Sonoma Country Thanksgiving, in whatever style or fashion that might mean to you and your loved ones.

With love and appreciation,

Frances

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.”

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Here's a great musical event to brighten your holiday season.The Petaluma Chorale, conducted by Dr. Cyril Deaconoff and accompanied by the Thalea String Quartet (Quartet in residence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music) are set to perform Vivaldi’s Gloria at Petaluma Valley Baptist Church, Sonoma Mountain Parkway, in Petaluma on Tues Nov 29th at 7.30 pm and again on Saturday Dec 3rd at 3 pm.

According to organizers, Gloria is worth coming to hear just by itself —but there's more. Songs from almost every continent and songs that we have all heard, classical, traditional, comedic, simple songs and some stunning in their lyrical beauty, four and five and six part harmonies will also be featured . . . "Music to close your eyes and drift away from the clutter of commuting and commercialism, songs to bring tears to your eyes," says David Freedman of the Petaluma Chorale.

Violins, cellos, oboes . . . home-made cookies and drinks at the intermission. Tickets at the door are $12, Students and Seniors $10, and children 12 and under Free.

Monday, November 21, 2016

The Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart presents its eighth annual “Holiday Crafterino” show, Sunday, November 27th from 11am to 4pm at the The Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building.

Each year the show celebrates the best in local handmade crafts and gifts while raising funds to support Petaluma’s own COTS, Committee on the Shelterless. Here is where to find something for everyone on your holiday gift list! This much anticipated tradition has grown to become the premier local handmade event, filled to the brim with cheer and goodwill.

The Holiday Crafterino is a unique opportunity for shoppers to do good by supporting local organizations. For the eighth year in a row, the event will raise funds for COTS, the local homeless service provider in Petaluma. COTS offers help and hope to the homeless population by providing safe shelter and housing, teaching financial literacy, case management, positive parenting classes, work-force preparedness, and helping people get back under a roof of their own. Additionally, COTS provides 124,000 hot meals and over 750,000 pounds of food delivered to those most in need within our community annually.

Local business owners spread the Holiday cheer by donating to the hourly raffle baskets which are chock full of local treasures and services from shops including StitchCraft, Copperfields, Heebe Jeebes and iLeoni. All raffle ticket donations go to COTS. To date this event has raised nearly $12,000 for the charity and hopes to donate even more this year. F

or the first time, the event will be hosted on a Sunday so as to not conflict with Santa’s riverboat arrival Saturday. “The 2016 Holiday Crafterino will be are largest yet! The Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building’s two large auditoriums and lobby will be full of food, fair and fun. We will host 70 well curated vendors and feature yummy local food trucks to help fuel the shopping frenzy,” shared organizer Melissa Abercrombie.

Vendors will be selling everything from spices, art prints, jewelry and bath products to clothing, ceramics and more.The first 100 attendees will receive a reusable silk-screened gift bag stuffed with goodies from local artists and businesses.

The Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart is organized by a group of local artisans: Nicole Pacheco of StitchCraft, Melissa Abercrombie of Blue Ribbon Salvage, Tami Lovett-Brumfeld of The Felt Baron, and Alice Kelzer of Alice Frost Studio.

Windrush Farm Holiday Art Sale is another favorite of mine, come November, each year. If you've never been to this lovely spot in Chileno Valley, do take a drive out west and peruse this delightful open-air sale, with wood fire pizza, too!